Lions Seek Donations For Troops In Iraq

The Newtown Lions Club is holding another drive to help send “care packages” to members of the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion of Danbury who are on active duty in Iraq. The target date for the mailing of these packages is February 15. 

The Lions Club will accept cash donations and items that have been requested by the troops. The cash donations will be used to purchase a variety of the items requested by the soldiers and to pay postage expenses. This use of cash will help ensure equal quantities of all items in each care package as well as reducing the postage expense burden for the families of the soldiers.

Cash donations should be sent to the Newtown Lions Club, c/o Frank Gardner, 6 Surrey Trail, Sandy Hook CT 06482.

A drop-off point will be designated for donations of the requested items. (When all arrangements have been completed, an announcement will be published.)

Two important considerations for the care packages are size and weight. Due to their mission, members of the 411th are stationed throughout Iraq, not in one city. This situation requires a large number of individual care packages, which makes postage expenses a real consideration.

Among the items that have been requested are Q-Tips, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, sunblock, Chap Stick, pipe cleaners; soap and washcloths (Johnson & Johnson makes soaps wrapped in washcloths; these are available in stores); wash towels, toothpicks, bandages (2x2, 4x4); antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin; baby powder; A&D ointment; black writing pens with clips; small notebooks, sunflower seeds, bed sheets and pillowcases; batteries (AAA to D); DVDs, games (Yatzee, cards, and other inventive things to occupy their time); nonperishable foods and anything that can be prepared with water such as instant coffee and powdered creamer; powdered Gatorade and Tang; crackers, Cheese Nips, cookies, beef jerky, plastic silverware; big and small zippered plastic food bags; individual boxes of laundry detergent, socks.

For more information about the care packages, or to make suggestions, call Wayland Johnson at 426-5418.